Phoenix
by of untold secrets
Summary: The School was destroyed. Itex was defeated. Half the world was gone, and all from Itex's By-Half plan. Max and the Flock search the globe for survivers to aid and protect, but how do they save others when they can no longer save themselves? DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**This story's set right after the third MR book. Just a heads up.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own**

Max POV

The School was destroyed. Itex defeated. Every enemy the Flock and I had ever made or encountered was gone, along with half the world. And from what? Itex's own By-Half plan.

Itex had launched the plan very soon, only a few weeks after my little half-flock reunion with Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy. They also attacked very quickly; within an hour of the first nuclear bomb explosion, just about every major city in the world lay in a heap of rubble and ash.

The Itex buildings were destroyed, too. Apparently, some whitecoat had underestimated the strength of the bombs. Imagine that—Itex defeated just because of an absent-minded whitecoat.

In any other circumstance, the Flock and I would be celebrating, but not in this. I mean, it's kinda hard to celebrate when _half the world_ lay in ruin, unhabitable because of radioactivity, or drought, or collapsing buildings, or all three.

All that had happened months ago. And the disasters still aren't showing any signs of letting up.

Usually by now, my trusty Voice (aka Jeb) would be giving me fortune cookie sayings or something. But that was another thing that was worrying—I haven't heard it since we shut down the Itex building in Germany. Not a peep.

At least I don't have to worry about the radioactivity part of the nuclear bombs; the Flock and I seem to be unaffected by the stuff. And it's not like we're gonna mutate into something more than the mutants we already are.

Right now, we were flying over Arizona, or what used to be it. The Colorado River below us moved sluggishly, its waters chocked with ash. The land, dry-looking in the best of times, looked dead. There wasn't a hint of green anywhere, just grey, brown, and more grey.

Fang signalled for me. I flew closer, being careful to not to whack his head with a wing or anything.

"Look down there," he said softly, pointing at a blackened piece of land below us, "isn't that Dr. Martinez's house?"

I looked down. That house _did_ look familiar…ashy and messed-up, but familiar. I gasped softly.

"Yo, Max," Nudge called from behind us, startling me from my reverie, "can we land anytime soon? I'm kinda hungry right now."

I thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Let's land there…at that blackish dot. Iggy, five degrees, then straight down."

One by one, the Flock and I dove, heading for my mom's house.

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

I landed on the blackened ground, rubble crunching beneath my sneakers. I didn't bother to hide my wings as there weren't any people around for miles.

That was how big the black stuff on the ground stretched, and at the very center was my mom's house.

The house was basically blown apart; the roof was gone, the walls crumbling. The previously-red bricks were—surprise, surprise—black and there was no living creature to be seen. Like, none. There wasn't a hint of green, and the only movement was from either the Flock or the pitifully weak breeze.

I dragged a toe along the ground, and a cloud of ash rose. My eyes watered, and it wasn't just from the dust in the air.

"Whoa...what happened here?" Total exclaimed from inside his baby-carrier thing on Iggy's back. His eyes were wide with shock. "I mean, New York City was bad enough, being blown to smithereens, but this…wow."

"Anybody gonna bother telling the blind kid where in the world we are?" Iggy called out He sniffed the air, "Did something explode here?"

"Max?" Gazzy asked, "This place looks familiar. Is it Dr. Martinez's place?"

I opened my mouth my mouth to say 'no' and quickly slammed down my mental wall to keep Angel from reading my mind. However, I was half a second too late.

Angel's eyes opened wide. "It is?" she managed to sputter.

At that moment, I regretted bringing the younger Flock members here. The stricken looks on Angel's, Gazzy's, and Nudge's faces were enough to make _anybody_ weep.

I looked to Fang for help, but he was staring back at me with a look of sadness in his eyes. That's right—Mr. Emotionless was actually showing _emotion_ on his face. I would say that the apocalypse was coming, but it was already the end of the world…for everyone.

It was Iggy who consoled Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge.

"Guys, guys," he said softly, "it's just the house that's ruined. That doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters here is Dr. M and Ella, and they're still alive…right, Max?"

I nearly snickered. _Wonderful consoling skills, Iggy, just wonderful._ But I sobered up when his words actually sank in.

Mom. Ella. What happened to them?

With this thought in mind, I ran for the house, leaping over the crumbling, destroyed wall that was all that separated me from what lay inside. I landed with a _crunch_ on broken glass, followed by the rest of the Flock.

"Total, you don't want to put a single paw on the ground," I warned.

"No freaking _duh_," was his respectful reply.

Fang asked, "Max, what's all this about?"

Angel answered before I could. "She wants to find Dr. M and Ella. To see if they're still alive," she added the last part sadly.

I looked sternly at her, "You've gotta stop doing that." Angel, still a little sad, just smiled innocently up at me. I turned to face everyone, "We split up to look for them. Gazzy, you look in the living room and hallway. Angel—the family room and dining room. Nudge and Fang, search in the upstairs bedrooms, but be careful…the floor's not very strong. I'll look in the kitchen and closets."

"Max in the _kitchen_? Oh no!" Gazzy exclaimed. The Flock chuckled as I ground my teeth together.

"What do I do?" Iggy asked.

I thought for a second, then said, "You get the bathrooms, I guess." The Flock laughed at this one while Iggy grinned mischievously. I suppressed a groan—even when it's the _end of the world_, there are still perverted minds.

Total piped up, "I'll be sure to cover my eyes!" More laughter from everyone.

I glared and said, "You guys better start looking…" I trailed off threateningly. You wouldn't believe how fast the room cleared out then. Well, I shouldn't say that we were in a room…more like a roomlike-space that used to be where a wall used to be.

Fang was the last to leave. "Have fun in the kitchen," he said, "but do me a favour—don't cook anything." I gave him a death glare.

Fang grinned one of his breathtaking grins, and then turned and headed for the stairs.

I sighed and went into the kitchen.

Okay, I've seen a lot of messy things, but the kitchen was a nightmare. It looked like Iggy and Gazzy had exploded a few of their experimental bombs on the stove, along with maple syrup and oatmeal, which was what the walls seemed to be covered with. The walls were streaked with black and the floor was littered with wood and broken glass. The countertops were demolished.

On an impulse, I opened the refrigerator door. I immediately closed it. You don't want to know what was in there…seriously, you don't. But at least it wasn't dead bodies.

Having found no signs of what I was looking for, I headed for other parts of the house.

To make a long story short, neither I nor the rest of the Flock find my mom, Ella, or their bodies. (How's that for good grammar?)

That night, the Flock and I camped out in what used to be the living room. I say 'used to be' because the ceiling and most of the roof was gone, and the furniture was scattered all over the place. Still, it was the best place in the house that we could find.

Digging into our backpack, I found stale granola bars and a bottle of water. These I handed around to everyone.

"How long's our food supply gonna last?" Fang asked, chugging down water.

I worriedly peered into the backpack. "Not long. We only have, like, two boxes of crackers and half a dozen bottles of water left." And you know how long that will last, what with our huge metabolisms…

Later, when everyone was asleep, I perched on top of what was left of the roof, stared up at starry sky, and just…thought.

My mom and Ella were alive, they had to be. At least that's what I kept telling myself. But I had to face the awful truth: although they may be still alive (they _had_ to be, I reminded myself), they weren't here, and it would be practically impossible to find them.

But I could still hope.

**Hopefully, this chapter's longer and more interesting than the last.**

**Was it good? Bad? So incredibly boring that you fell asleep at the computer, hit your head on the monitor, and had to be driven to the ER? Tell me!**

**Reviews will be appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks**** to SareRide9 for reviewing! Sorry I forgot to mention you last chapter…**

**Now on with the story (and yes, it is going to be in another Flock member's POV).**

Fang POV

I leaned against the wall, listening to the Flock's snores around me.

Out of habit, I took the laptop out of the backpack and gently stroked its cover. As I said, this was all out habit. The little power light had long since winked out, and there wasn't Internet anymore anyway.

As I did often these days, I let my mind wander. I thought about the School, about the By-Half plan, about Dr. Martinez and Ella. I briefly wondered how life would be like if the Flock and I had been normal, and Itex and the School had never existed. I wondered about—

I saw something move in the corner of my eye. Instantly, my whole body tensed up, but I relaxed once I saw that it was only Max.

As I watched, Max climbed up the roof and sat there, feet hanging over the edge. She tipped her head back and stared at the black velvety sky, completely unaware of anyone watching.

_What was she doing?_ I thought, and got up, putting the laptop back into the backpack.

I pulled myself onto the roof and carefully and quietly walked towards her. Broken shingles crunched under my feet and I winced slightly at the noise it made.

Hearing my footsteps, Max turned towards me.

"Fang," she asked, noticeably surprised, "what are you doing here?" I sat down next to her.

"I could ask the same about you," I replied. I could tell that something bothered her, by the slump of her shoulders and the tired look in her eyes.

"Just thinking," Max said, guarded.

"Uh huh," I said sceptically, "I know you better than that. No, really. What's wrong?"

She sighed, too tired to argue. Or at least that's what I think…

"It's just…everything." she answered. I waited for her to continue. "It's just that, I feel like I can't do anything. I couldn't save the world from Itex. I couldn't save Mom and Ella from whatever happened to them. Now, I can't even save the Flock! You know, the food issue, or the lack of it. I can't save anyone. I'm helpless." At this, she slumped and looked down at her feet as if embarrassed by her emotional outburst.

I thought carefully, wondering how I should word what I wanted to say. It bothered me that she was putting all the blame on herself for failing to save people. The rest of the Flock and I were just as guilty, if not more.

"You're not helpless, Max. You've done so much. You've done the best you could in saving the world. In fact, if the Itex building in Germany hadn't been destroyed, the world would be in a lot worse shape than it is now. You've helped the Flock and I more than you think. Jeb may have gotten us out of the School; Dr. M may have given us a place to stay; but you were the one who's kept us alive, Max. Without you, we'd all be dead or worse, rotting in dog cages in some Itex place. You've done more than you think."

I panted, exhausted by what was probably the longest speech I had ever made in my life. I have no idea how Nudge does it.

"Right." Max still seemed unconvinced.

"No, really. Just ask anyone in the Flock."

"What about Mom and Ella?"

I struggled for the right words. "Look. Nobody could have helped them. Even if you _had _known that something had happened to them, you couldn't have helped them. Sometimes, Max, you've got to let some things go. You can't be everywhere at once; let some of us other poor mutants help once in a while." I tried to smile at her, but it felt forced.

At least she didn't look all depressed anymore.

"You really think that?" she asked, watching my face carefully. I nodded.

Suddenly, Max reached out and hugged me tightly around the waist like I would disappear if she let go. "Thanks, Fang."

Sometimes, I really don't understand girls.

I looked up at the sky, finding peace in the darkness of it. A glint of metal caught my eye.

"Fang?" Max asked, following my gaze and seeing the same glint of metal that was slowly drawing closer. She leapt up, turning back into the warlike, leaderly Max that I knew so well.

"Guys, get up! We're under attack!"

**Kind of OOC, I know.**** And in case you're wondering where Jeb is, don't worry. He's gonna come in later in the story.**

**Oh, and I'm wondering, should I put Fax into the story or not? 'Cause both choices are fine by me…Review to say yes or no!**


	4. Chapter 4

Max POV

Should I list the reasons why I'm really annoyed right now?

Me basically _pouring_ my heart to Fang

I've only had two granola bars for dinner, which isn't enough for even a normal person

Mom and Ella are missing

Some of the my enemies that I had previously thought dead suddenly turning up and attacking the Flock

Oh, and there was a big dirt stain on the knee of my jeans, but that was beside the point.

I leapt down from the roof into the living room, shouting for the Flock to get up. Within seconds, they were all awake and ready for anything.

Total stood up sleepily. "Do we have any strawberry-flavoured chocolate? I'd kill for one right now."

Okay, maybe _most_ of us were ready for everything.

I groaned internally; we didn't have time for this. I shoved the still-sleepy Total into the backpack and swung it over my shoulders. Then, I signalled for the rest of the Flock to fly and meet the attackers in the sky.

"Straight up, Iggy," I called, and we were off.

In the sky, I did a three-sixty, noticing that the attackers were coming only from the north. By now, they were about fifty metres away, close enough for me to see them even through to darkness.

The attackers were Flyboys, and there were about a hundred of them.

Fang swooped in next to me. "Some of them have guns," he murmured into my ear.

Now, I could see that about a dozen of the Flyboys had what looked like Uzis in the place where there should have been a right hand. The guns were what had glinted in the starlight.

A dozen guns ready to make bird-kid Swiss cheese. Just wonderful. Note the sarcasm.

The Flyboys slowly flew into firing range.

"Iggy?" I called, "We may need some of your bomb power."

"Sure. Where?"

"Forty metres away, ten o'clock."

I watched as brilliant explosions lit up the night sky, each blowing up about ten Flyboys. But then, of course, Iggy ran out of bombs.

"There aren't any more gun-carrying guys anymore, I think," Fang said. He looked at me as if to ask whether the Flock should fight the remaining twenty-or-so Flyboys. I nodded.

"Let's go and kick some butt!"

We charged.

I kicked the first Flyboy in the head with both feet, watching with some satisfaction as the head broke off at the neck with a mass of wires and sparks. I whirled around and chopped a second at the base of its spine. Ducking blows and kicks, I looked around to check how the rest of the Flock were doing.

Angel and Nudge were fighting back-to-back, driving off the enemy with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Fang and Iggy were successfully beating the stuffing out of three of the Flyboys.

Gazzy was…where was he?

I searched around anxiously, and found him punching another Flyboy into submission near the edge of the ruckus. I smiled, and was about to rejoin the fight when I spotted something glint behind him.

"Gazzy! Watch out!" I flew at the Flyboy and was preparing to punch his furry face in, when…

_Bang._

I guess Iggy's bombs had missed one of the gun-toting Eraser-look-alikes because I suddenly found blood spurt from my shoulder.

_Pain is only a message._

Gritting my teeth, I kicked the Flyboy full-on with both feet. It dropped, landing in a nice pile of metal and fur on the ground below.

Gazzy, who was finished with his opponent turned to face me. "Max," he said worriedly, "You're shoulder…"

I looked down. Oh, wow.

The whole left side of my shirt was soaked in blood. That was a lot, right? The wound also hurt a lot, but I'm not going to let Gazzy know that.

"I fine, Gazz." I said, trying to sound as comforting as I could.

Then, I plummeted to the ground.

**Ohh…a cliffy!**

**Sorry about the suckiness of this chapter...I can't write fight scenes to save my life.**

**Review anyway?**


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry for the long(ish) wait…**

**Thanks go**** to Heart the Stingray for reviewing!**

_We might have won the battle, but we may have lost the war._

_-unknown_

Fang POV

Max.

MAX.

_MAX!_

One moment, she was fine, beating up a Flyboy like usual. The next, she was plummeting to the ground, a trail of blood following her.

I dove, hoping that I would be able to catch her before the ground does. Swooping under her, she fell into my waiting arms, with a hundred metres to spare.

This close, I could finally see what was wrong with her. Max's shoulder was wounded, blood was pouring out, staining her shirt bright red.

If this happened a year ago, I wouldn't have been particularly worried. After all, there were probably miles of bandages and tons of antiseptic in our bags, and a hospital would be just a few kilometres away.

But this wasn't the world a year ago.

The Flock had run out of bandages ages ago, and there probably wasn't a hospital on _Earth_, let alone anywhere nearby.

Our fight with the Flyboys had taken the Flock and a quite a distance from Dr. M's house, and I could see mountains and caves in the distance. Quickly, I sped towards a particularly large cave that I could see, and landed awkwardly on its dry, dusty floor, the rest of the Flock not far behind.

"Is she okay?" Nudge whispered, her eyes wide with worry.

"I don't know," I replied. I laid Max carefully on the ground.

"I think a Flyboy shot her," Gazzy said, looking guilty, "She was trying to protect me. Will she--will she…die?" The whole Flock shivered at the word.

Iggy ruffled his hair, trying to sound comforting, but even he could not keep the uncertainty out of his voice. "Max is going to be all right. Don't worry, everything's going to turn out fine."

I sure hoped so.

* * *

Max POV

I was floating, floating in darkness.

Was this what it felt like to die? I hoped not; I wasn't ready to have my life ended just yet.

But still, it felt nice to float, to just rest for a while, not worrying about the Flock or Flyboys, or anything.

Flyboys…

Memories flooded back, bright and intense, painful after the blackness. And with the memories, sounds reached my ears. Voices.

The voices sounded muffled, as if I was hearing them through a long tunnel. However, I could tell that they were the voices of Fang and Iggy. I would know their voices anywhere.

"Fang, do we have any more rags? This bleeding isn't stopping" Iggy sounded frantic.

Fang sounded panicked as well. "No, that was our last. What do you mean, the bleeding ain't stopping? How can it not?"

"I mean, the bullet must have gone through some artery or something. I can't be able to staunch this. At least the rest of the Flock's outside."

I wanted to get up, to tell them that I was okay. But somehow, I couldn't quite feel my mouth. Or arms. Or legs. Where were they? Come on, Max, _move_.

"Did you see that? Max twitched," Iggy exclaimed.

"Max, don't worry. You'll be fine, just wait." Fang tried, with little success, to sound clam and controlled.

I tried to move my mouth, to tell me that I was fine. Suddenly, a burst of pain exploded from my shoulder.

That was all I felt before I blacked out once again.

* * *

Fang POV

"Max, don't worry. You'll be fine, just wait." I tried, unsuccessfully to sound as soothing as possible, barely masking the panic that I felt.

Iggy was tying all sorts of rags to Max's shoulder, trying to stop the blood flow. We had used up all of the extra rags that we had in our packs, but it wasn't nearly enough.

No, we needed bandages. Actually, scratch that. We needed a hospital.

"Okay, Iggy," I said, sanding up, "I'm going back to Dr. M's house to find anything salvageable that could help." Anything that could keep Max alive. Right now, even an old dishrag would seem to be a huge improvement to what we have now.

"Fine," Iggy muttered, still trying to do all he can to make Max comfortable, "but be quick. I don't think that these rags would last much longer."

I hurriedly got up and practically ran to the edge of the cave. I ignored the younger Flock members' questions and was about to launch myself when Angel read my intentions and asked if she could come along as well.

I was in no mood to argue, so I just nodded. After all, having a helper would speed up the process a whole lot more.

Angel and I swooped up into the sky together, heading for the ruined house.

**Okay, people. Tell me…do you want Fax in this story? Or Miggy, Eggy, or just no romance at all?**

**R&R? **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for not updating for some time...**

**Thanks go to Floppyloulou and emotionalpoemgirl (who reviewed four of my stories, I might add). You guys are awesome!**

**Oh, and information on pairings will be in the author's note at the end of the chapter.**

Fang POV

Angel and I swooped low over the bare, rocky land, heading for the tiny ruined remains of what used to be Dr. M's house.

Was it really that far away? We had to hurry, my best friend's _life_ was slipping away with every second wasted.

Finally, we touched down onto the ground in front of the house.

"Angel," I said, "you go look for cloth, medical things, anything that can help Max. search in this half of the house, okay?" She nodded. I made to go inside, but then remembered, "And watch out for falling debris." I didn't need _two_ injured Flock members on my hands.

I carefully but quickly picked my way through the rubble, searching for any hint of cloth or medicine. I made my way into what used to be Dr. M's study.

Bingo. Old clothing tossed haphazardly around the room. I grabbed them and stuffed them into the old, worn backpack that was slung over my shoulders. Even if Max didn't need them, then the younger Flock members could use a change of clothing.

I went to the overturned desk and swiftly wrenched open it's drawers. Nothing…nothing…nothing…jackpot. In the bottom (or should I say, top) drawer, there was a First Aid kit, so new that it's plastic outer wrapping was still on.

I sighed in gratitude, sticking it into the backpack along with everything else. This, we could definitely use, a priceless treasure in this dusty, empty world we used to call Earth.

After checking to make sure that nothing else was in the room, I stood up and made my way out.

Suddenly, I heard a crackle, and the dull clack of rocks falling onto other rocks. I froze.

"Angel? Is that you?" Too late did I realize that I had just given my position away, and I silently swore. My ears strained to pick up other signs that the Flock was not alone in this world.

I heard…several footsteps. Two, to be exact.

Whirling around to face the direction of the footsteps, I silently called for Angel, using my mind.

_I'll be there in a second_, she promised, before ending the connection and appearing beside me a few second later.

How does she do that? I wondered, but Angel only giggled.

Now feeling less out-numbered, I made my voice as threatening as possible and called out, "Who are you? Come out before I come in and get you!"

Silence.

Then, one after the other, slowly and warily as if I might attack them any second (which was actually quite likely, judging by how tense and adrenaline-fueled I felt), two boys crept out of the shadows. The first sign of life I have seen in months, apart from the Flock.

So they were raggedy and dirty, with torn and tattered clothing. So their faces were haggard, their bodies thin, their eyes haunted. So what? For someone who had not seen any face but those of the Flock and of robots for the past couple of months, it was like they had just walked off the runway.

They were brothers—one looking to be around the same age as Iggy, Max and I, and the other looking to have been around seventeen. Their faces looked surprised as well, so I'm guessing that they had not seen much human life for a very long time.

It was the younger of the two brothers who spoke first.

"Who are you?" he asked slightly defiantly, as his brother stared at him in alarm. His eyes widened in recognition, "Are…are you Fang? From the blog?"

What was the chance of that happening? Mutely, I nodded.

The older brother's face changed from warning to shock. And from shock to anger.

"So you're the guys who promised to save the world, huh?" he snarled, "What happened to your brilliant plan? Where's all this promised world-saving? You call _this_," he gestured around him, "you call this saving the world? With millions of people dead? Fat lot of good you've done!"

From his face, I could tell that this was a point that he had reflected on many times, and I inwardly winced. After all, everything he said was true.

The younger brother grabbed onto his brother's tattered shirt as if to restrain him. "Let's go," he murmured, "we've salvaged enough stuff for today."

The older one calmed down a little, then strode past us muttering, "Just don't expect any favours from me anytime soon," before going out the door.

The younger one looked sadly at a shocked but despairing Angel and I. "Don't mind my brother…he has a lot of bitterness stored up inside him." He shrugged and started following his brother when, as if remembering something, turned around and said, "There's some food that we haven't touched in the pantry cupboard if you want it." He dropped his voice to a quiet whisper. "I haven't given hope on you yet."

Before Angel could even get out a decent thanks, he was already out and gone, worn sneakers crunching on the rubble underfoot.

We stood there, Angel and I, for a full minute, before remembering Max and the rest of the Flock back at the cave.

Angel contributed some medicine and towels she found in the bathroom to our small stash of stuff.

Before we went out, however, I checked the pantry to see if what the brother had said was true. It was, and I stuffed some canned foods, nuts, and dried fruit into my now full backpack. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the Flock alive a little longer and I whispered a silent thanks to the guy.

Then, we were out.

Angel and I flew fast and hard, trying to get to the caves as fast as we could. Who knew what could have happened in the time in which we had left?

As we neared the caves, I could see Nudge and Gazzy at the mouth of the cave, waiting for us. From this distance, I couldn't see their expressions to tell if we were too late or not.

All I could do was hope.

**Okay, I hve decided (kinda) which pairings, if any would be in this story. No Fax, sorry, and no OC's (sorry Floppyloulou). Iggy, however, is**** still up for some kind of pairing, whether that be Miggy, Eggy, or Niggy, I haven't decided yet.**

**Oh, and I've written up and Iggy's POV of the last two chapters, starting from when Fang and Angel left the cave. If you guys want it, just review and I can send it to you (or post it up in the next chapter)!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks go to emotionalpoemgirl and Foxstar-WarriorsFan101 for reviewing!**

Iggy POV

My eyesight. I had lost my eyesight nine years ago. How I had wished for it to come back, all these years in which we have been hiding from the school, in which we have been on the run.

But never had I wanted it back so badly as now.

I glared helplessly at the darkness, wishing for it to disappear so I could see the extent of Max's injuries. To help her more.

Outside, I could hear Angel's and Fang's footsteps and the soft flapping of thier wings. I could hear Gazzy's worried questions and Nudge's exasperated but panicked answers. I could hear the wind whistling at the mouth of the cave and the dust and sand blowing around in the wind.

But none of that compared to actually _seeing_ things. Nothing compared to that.

I ran my fingers lightly over the wound, feeling the smooth skin end abruptly with rough cloth, feeling the dampness of blood which meant that what cloth we had was not enough to save her from blood loss. I wished, once again, that I could see the wound, see what the messy binding and painful gash actually looks like.

I moved my fingers to Max's wrist, feeling the weak pulse and pale skin. She didn't have a lot of time left.

I stared out of where the cave entrance would be. Maybe my eyesight could not be healed, but Max's wound most probably could with the right materials.

If only Fang and Angel could come sooner.

As if reading my thoughts, two pairs of light footsteps alighted onto the floor of the cave. I heard Fang's quiet, worried voice tell Angel to stay at the cave entrance, and her reluctant agreement. I sighed in relief.

Almost running, he reached my side and took off a backpack. Rummaging through it, he finally came up with...something. Fang pressed it into my hand.

"Maybe you can use this," he said.

My fingers traced the smooth exterior plastic hinges. "A first-aid-kit?" I asked.

"Yes. Can you use it?"

Opening the latches, I felt over its contents, feeling bandages, and needles, and gloves, and gauze, and bottle after bottle of...stuff.

"Antiseptic, antibacterial wash, pain meds...I think..." Fang said, as if sensing my need to know what was inside.

I could almost imagine his hopeful face, the excitement barely concealed in his eyes. Unfortunately, I had to be the bad guy in this equation.

"Fang," I said, slowly, "you do know that all of this must be at least months past their expiry dates, right? They might not be usable."

I sensed, rather than heard, his shoulders droop and a dissapointed sad sigh escaped his mouth. I quickly added, "But I'll do my best with it. What else do you have in that backpack...?"

And so, for the next who-knows-how-long, Fang and I worked feverishly to help Max.

Throughout this whole process, Max didn't even twitch. She was barely breathing and for one freaky moment, I had thought that she had died.

But no. Max was Max—she never backed down without a fight. And she lived.

Finally, we stood back to admire our handiwork. Well, Fang admired our handiwork. I just straightened the tightly-bound bandages and tucked the ratty blanket tighter around her. By now, her heart sounded almost normal, and her skin was far less pale than before.

I grinned, relieved, at Fang. "I think we've done it," I said, still smiling, "I think she'd live." We would still have to watch her closely of course—who knows what might happen—but we've done it. Max was probably going to live.

He seemed intensely relieved as well. "Well, I'd better call the rest of the Flock in—they've been pacing outside for ages. It's already dark out."

I raised my head. Sure enough, a cool breeze was drifting through the cave opening, down to where I knelt, bring with it the smells of the night—nowadays, with no cities or factories polluting the sky, the air smelled fresher, cooler, and cleaner than ever before. The one perk of the By-Half plan.

Quickly, I got up and brushed the dust off of my pants.

Running, I joined the rest of the Flock, who were already gathering at the edges of the cave, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Max was going to live.

**A short chapter, as usual.**

**I figured we've all had enough melodrama from me by now, so I ended the story with some happier feelings.**

**Review?**


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